Creamy dreamy peanut butter banana smoothie

I couldn’t possibly count all of the inside jokes David and I have between us. They’re an everyday part of our language – comedic shorthand. Some of the references go back a decade or more, and often the jokes take on a life of their own. Sometimes they include old gags that we like to return to again and again like a well-worn sweatshirt.

One such gag involves using a banana as a telephone. I know we’re hardly the first people to use a banana as an imaginary phone, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone more dedicated to keeping the gag going.

Often when one of us grabs a banana for a packed lunch or snack, before we peel it, we like to pretend we’re having a phone conversation. The caller on the other end of the line is always the same – King Kong. I mean, who else would be calling on the banana phone, right? He’s generally not calling about anything pressing. Just small talk – which is difficult considering his size.It goes a little something like this…

I’ll pull the banana up to my ear and say, “Oh, hey, how are you?”

David will ask with interest, “Who is it?”

I’ll cover the mouthpiece of the phone and whisper, “King Kong.”

“What does he want?” David whispers back.

I’ll direct the question to King Kong. “What did you need?”

After a couple of nods I’ll tell David, “He wants to know if you’d like to go to the movies with him on Wednesday.”

“What is he going to see?”

I’ll put the question to King Kong. “What are you going to see?” After waiting a few moments for King Kong to answer I’ll respond to David, “Planet of the Apes.”

Of course, David can’t refuse. That’s one of his favorite movies. And going to the movies with King Kong? That’s pretty much his dream. So I’ll hand the banana off to David, so that he and King Kong can firm up their plans to go to the drive-in. (Those movie theatre seats are a killer on King Kong’s knees.) And after the movie plans have been finalized, the phone can be eaten on its own or frozen for a smoothie.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

A peanut butter banana smoothie is perfect in its simplicity. Nothing to stand in its way. The perfect combo.

While I enjoy a cherry, blueberry, or even pumpkin smoothie, sometimes something more straightforward calls. When you don’t want anything to distract from the joy that is peanut butter & banana coming together, this is the smoothie you need.

The salty nuttiness of the peanut butter mellows the gentle sweetness of the banana. Ground flaxseed increases the whippy viscosity while adding omega 3’s. For the non-dairy milk, I use unsweetened plain cashew milk. But feel free to use whichever non-dairy milk you prefer.

When it comes to smoothies, frozen bananas are a must for me. You could just throw a banana into the blender right after peeling. But giving the banana time to freeze solid means that the smoothie will have a wonderfully creamy texture that it wouldn’t get otherwise. It pushes the smoothie almost into shake category.

This peanut butter banana smoothie recipe makes enough for two small drinks. Even though they’re on the diminutive side, they’re quite filling with the peanut butter & flaxseed inside.

A creamy peanut butter banana smoothie just hits the spot. Like King Kong and banana telephones, there’s a reason it’s a classic.

Comments

Cad, I can imagine as clear as day you and David carrying out your banana phone shtick. No one would be better at it! And I will second your thoughts on frozen bananas for smoothies. This is one of the many tricks you've taught me over the years for which I'm very grateful!

We'll have to get the girls involved next time! It can be the new, "Do you like pancakes?" I'm glad I was able to convert you to the frozen banana side. Whenever I hear that people are still using room temperature bananas for smoothies, I feel a little sad for what they're missing! :D

I love that you talk to King Kong on a banana phone! Matt and I have inside jokes too and sometimes we say to ourselves - "what if someone was actually listening to us, they'd think we're crazy!".
I, on the other hand, do not think you're crazy and I think it's awesome. :)
Your smoothie sounds perfect. I love a good banana and peanut butter anything. :)

Thanks, Simon! I hope you love this smoothie as much as I do. Since you are a fan of peanut butter & bananas, I bet you'll be into it! And yes, those peanut butter cookies are delicious. I need to make another batch!

Hahahaha, y'all are so cute!
"And after the movie plans have been finalized, the phone can be eaten on its own or frozen for a smoothie."
Hahahahahaaha. I'll never look at a banana the same again.
Bananas in smoothies are MUST for me. A smoothie just isn't a smoothie without one. And a PB & Banana Smoothie is basically perfection in a glass. You're making me crave one right now.

I totally agree about bananas being essential to a smoothie. Plus, it seems like the other option is avocado for creaminess and body. Avocados are way too pricey & delicious to be hiding in a smoothie. Last week when I was creating/photographing this recipe, I had a PB & banana smoothie 3 days in a row. No complaints! :D

ha ha. Hello? Are you there? I can't hear you! This is bananas!
"Bananas!" is my favorite expression lately. These smoothies look so good. I almost never buy bananas, since we have an abundance of local organic fruit to choose from, throughout the year... but a couple times a year I"ll splurge and buy some. I actually have a few that went brown in the freezer -- waiting to be made into banana muffins sometime soon!
xo Amey

Cute, Amey! I like your punning! :D
Yes, with the abundance of local produce in California, I can see why you stick to what's readily available. You'll have to give this recipe a whirl during one of your splurges. :D

You two are hysterical! I can totally picture the two of you in your kitchen doing this routine! And the smoothie of course looks delicious—great idea to add the flax for texture and consistency! Plus healthy! My boys would love this, and we have a great nut free peanut butter sub that would be perfect!

Thanks, Sarah! When it comes to smoothies, I always add chia or flax. I love that whippy viscosity that they give. That's a great idea to do a peanut butter sub for your boys. You'll have to let me know if you try it!